Alamelu Venkatesh from AV’s Vegetarian Kitchen

Meet Alamelu Venkatesh a security consultant and a food blogger, perhaps a rare combination of being a professional and to pursue a hobby. Yet it shows that women and mums are good at managing many interests. Alee, as she is known to her close friends is based out of Brisbane, Australia.

This Diwali, she talks of her journey on food, being a mum and sharing recipes for the festival.

“I am from Bangalore to my loving & caring parents – Gayathri & Venkatachalaiah. Mum was a stay at home parent and dad was working for a banking and financial institution.

One of my best memories from my childhood days is walking to school with my little brother, holding hands while mum watching us crossing the road carefully and the other best memory – waiting for dad to come home from work who use to bring Iyengar bakery products from the local bakery to me and my brother.

Before marriage, I didn’t know how to cook as I never had to enter kitchen because always my mother cooked. After completing my degree, got engaged, I had to slowly start learn cooking simple food such as rice & dal, making coffee and tea.

To me, cooking is an ART and it happens to be my passion too; so when time permits would like to try new recipes and make delicious meals for my family. I am an author who has published few security related articles for one of the institutions for their monthly newsletters.

Every food blogger is different and stands out in their own way to share their authentic recipes. Some are good in providing information about their recipes while others are great in presenting such as making good videos, capturing beautiful food images and so on….

There are so many recipes that I have learnt from my mother and my best I can say is – making of Kodubale, coconut burfi & mysorepak and whenever I make it always comes out very well & tastes delicious too.

When ever I make Indian food, especially my mum’s South Indian recipes, I think of her, if I need any information about a recipe, I ring her and check out her methods, correct ingredients to add and the right quantity to get that perfect taste & texture.

My daughter is studying at a university and she is a great fan of my cooking (who happens to be good with her baking skills). Likewise I am a great fan of my mum’s home cooking. Also making authentic and tasty dishes is very important because every human being is fond of good food.”

Alee shares two recipes from Karnataka which she has learnt from her mother.

a) BADUSHA

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE DOUGH

Plain flour – 1.5 cup (Maida)

Ghee + oil – 1/4 cup

Soda – 1/2 tsp.

Plain Yogurt – 1/3 cup

Sugar – 1 tsp.

water to make dough

oil for deep frying

SUGAR SYRUP INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

2 pinch of cardamom powder

3/4 tsp. lemon juice

METHOD

Make a soft dough using dough ingredients (except oil for deep fry)

Allow this dough to rest for 30 mins to one hour

Prepare sugar syrup to thread consistency

Make small balls out of dough, flatten them and press in the middle. Fry this on very low heat until golden brown

Soak the fried badusha in sugar syrup for 5-10 mins by turning them over at regular intervals

Remove badusha from sugar syrup and place them on a paper towel and let it rest till the sugar syrup dries

Follow the above method with the remaining badushas.

b) MYSORE PAK

Ingredients:

1 cup besan flour,

2 cup sugar (+ enough water to make sugar syrup),

Ghee (clarified butter) – 15 dessert spoon (big size) Or 2 cup

METHOD

Sieve the besan flour, roast it for 2-3 minutes, and keep aside.

In a separate pan, put sugar and enough water to make sticky syrup, to this add roasted flour and ghee and keep stirring (on a low flame).

Cook till the mixture becomes porous and spongy like bread.

Transfer this mixture to a greased plate; let it set for a minute or two; then with a sharp knife cut into your desired shapes.

***

“ In 2009 due to hectic family commitments, I had to quit my full-time job as an accounting professional in order to focus on my daughter’s busy high school commitments.

I also enrolled at one of Sydney universities to study a degree and completed my Master’s degree in order to pursue a career within the security industry.

Since 2011, have been busy with my career and also food blogging when time permits.”

We thank Alamelu to have shared her journey with Mums and stories and wishing her all the very best in life. It is lovely to see mums like her who are retaining Indian cuisne tastes through food blogging.

Random Quote

“A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”